Monday 7th of January 2013 07:37:02 PM

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I really like dogs, so I have a warm spot for this place. It's a really unique brewery. It's very relaxed, they don't even serve food (aside from a popcorn machine in the corner), and they have board games for people planning to sit there all day with a pint in their hand. If I had the time, I would have done just that.

The beers were all very good - you can tell that serving good beers are important to them. The sampler included 8 beers. The Scottish Amber Ale and Irish Red Ale were both very good.

Monday 9th of April 2012 12:11:50 PM

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Sleepy Dog is a great place to have in Tempe. With so many of the Brewpubs overrun by the Frat contingent (I'm talking to you Four Peaks), it's nice to have a place far enough from the University to never be too busy. The atmosphere is pretty bland, but they do have a great game selection. The staff is top notch, probably some of the nicest, most attentive barkeeps I've met. As the last reviewer noted, their food situation was no bueno, but they have recently started employing some of the many Phoenix food trucks to camp in the parking lot in the evenings to feed bar patrons, great idea, businesses working together and the variety is always excellent. The beer itself is pretty good, particularly the Cascade hopped Tail Chaser IPA and the Scootcher Scottish Amber Ale. Sleepy Dog also offers a few mead/cider/beer layered or blending beverages that are amazing, it's rare to find a brewery that will mix their beer with other company's drinks, these guys are a bit more daring. They also sell bombers to take home with you, I recommend the Wet Snout Milk Stout.

Saturday 30th of January 2010 08:18:02 PM

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Nice place. It's in a small office strip right along University at the eastern edge of the ASU development. The atmosphere inside is very comfortable: not small, but also not too large to be cavernous or uncomfortable. For the size of the place, they have a relatively large bar, which is where we sat. There are also a few tables and a big couch in the corner. The brewing area is right behind the bar.
For $5 you get a sampler of all of their house beers, which included 8 that day: light lager, hefeweizen, "pumpkin" hefeweizen (a seasonal), an Irish red, a Scottish amber, a pale, a milk stout and an IPA.
Bartender was quick with filling them up. He arranged it so that it went in order of what was on the menu, except switched the stout and IPA "on purpose." When I had the IPA, I could see why: it's got a kick. But it's one of those IPAs where it doesn't taste like a whole lot initially, but gets on you fast when you notice that your tongue is suddenly a little numb.
At 10%, it's a hell of an IPA too. I ended up with a glass of that, which ran $5 (everything else is $4). I say "glass" because it's served in a smaller, 12oz. glass. Not the bar's fault at all, as it's just a really ridiculous state law about how much alcohol you can be served at one time, which is the reason why we're the only state I've seen to have "mini-pitchers" of beer at bars.
I really liked that IPA. I would also recommend the Irish red, which had a really nice flavor and, if you like milk stouts, that's a pretty good one. I like imperial stouts better, but definitely appreciate this genre as well, and it had a really nice flavor. Definitely wasn't crazy about the pale, but I found myself also really liking that pumpkin hefe, which my companion ended up with a pint of. As it was a seasonal and they were trying to get rid of it, it only ran $2.75 for a pint.
A couple of caveats about this place:
- No kids. There's a 21+ sign on the door and, when I came in, they were showing the uncensored version of a pretty racy movie. I didn't mind it at all (I had never seen the movie), but it definitely wasn't kid-friendly.
- There is food, but I wouldn't eat it. We had some nice popcorn and pretzel snacks (on the house), but the rest of the menu is pretty bad. The web site makes this absolutely clear though, and it's just something to be aware of. However, I also think this place does better without a kitchen.
I would definitely come here again. Four Peaks is absolutely ridiculous as far as crowds, and I've never been totally satisfied with the beers there, so it's good to have a good alternative in Tempe.